When it comes to maintaining the durability and safety of parking decks, walkways, and driveways, traffic coatings play a vital role in protecting your infrastructure. Traffic coatings are designed to withstand heavy loads, resist chemical spills, and endure the constant wear and tear from vehicles, foot traffic, and environmental elements. For today’s blog post, we discuss why regular maintenance of Pecora-Deck Traffic Coatings Systems is important, what does maintenance involve, and take a deeper look into the maintenance of Pecora-Deck HB1000 High Build System.
Traffic coatings are a significant investment, and like any investment, you want to maximize its return. Over time, exposure to UV rays, temperature fluctuations, and continuous use can cause even the most robust coatings to degrade. Regular maintenance helps identify minor issues like cracks, delamination, or wear before they escalate into more significant problems, extending the life of your coating and protecting your infrastructure. Water is one of the most destructive elements when it comes to concrete and other building materials. Traffic coatings act as a barrier against moisture penetration, preventing it from seeping into the substrate and causing deterioration. Without regular maintenance, small breaches in the coating can allow water to infiltrate, leading to costly repairs or, in severe cases, structural damage. Routine inspections and prompt repairs keep your coating intact and your structure sound.
The appearance of your facility matters, not just for first impressions but also for the overall user experience. Traffic coatings that are well-maintained contribute to a clean, professional look. Regular cleaning, touch-ups, and reapplication of coatings when necessary, keep your surfaces looking fresh and well-kept, enhancing the curb appeal of your building. While maintenance does require time and resources, it is far more cost-effective than the alternative. Ignoring minor issues could lead to significant damage, requiring extensive repairs or even complete replacement of the coating. By investing in regular maintenance, you’re avoiding these high costs and ensuring that your traffic coatings continue to perform as intended.
Pecora’s Traffic Coating Systems are designed for high-traffic areas like parking decks and vehicular ramps, offer durable protection against wear and tear. These coatings resist vehicular traffic and provide slip resistance, enhancing safety. Pecora’s traffic coatings are flexible, elastomeric high-performance coatings that can bridge cracks in the substrate, making them an excellent choice for structures prone to movement and temperature fluctuations. Pecora’s traffic coatings offer outstanding protection against the elements, ensuring the longevity and safety of various surfaces.
What Does Regular Maintenance of Pecora Traffic Coating Systems Involve?
- General
- Maintenance of Pecora Deck Coating Systems must be performed at regular intervals to assure that the coating system will continue to provide service for which it was intended.
- Maintenance procedures should include:
- Periodic physical inspections
- Cleaning
- Snow removal and ice control (where applicable)
- Repairs to structure
- Repairs to coating system
- Periodic replacement of Topcoat and paint striping
- Inspections
- The deck coating system is subject to extreme abrasive wear conditions as well as to physical damage from general use and damage resulting from structural problems. Periodic inspections will provide a basis for the proper maintenance work to assure a long-life expectancy of the coating system.
- Monthly – make a physical inspection to determine if there are any areas of excessive wear or physical damage to the coating.
- Semi-Annually – make a thorough physical inspection. Such inspections should include, but are not limited to:
- Inspect the sealant in the joints for proper adhesion. Also determine if there is any cohesive failure or physical damage to the sealant.
- Where possible, inspect the underside of the joints for evidence of leaks.
- Inspect the areas where beams are resting on columns for evidence of stress cracking or excessive movement.
- Where possible, inspect the entire structure from the underside of the deck for cracks which show evidence of a difference in the plane of the materials on each side of the crack.
- Inspect drains or scuppers to ensure there is nothing clogging or blocking them, to avoid ponding water on the deck.
- Inspect areas at junctures of horizontal decks and vertical sections (ie: parapet walls, planter walls, building walls, curbs, etc.) to determine if there has been excessive movement at these points which may have caused the coating to crack.
- Inspect coating at the base of parking bumpers (in the case of parking deck coating systems) to determine if there has been any damage to coating as a result of movement of the bumper.
- Inspect coating surface to determine if there are any substantial structural cracks in the substrate which have caused the coating to crack.
- Inspect areas which are subject to high abrasion and wear such as:
- Vehicular Traffic Decks: Turn radii, entrance and exit ramps and other start/stop areas for excessive wear loss of aggregate in the coating.
- Pedestrian Decks: Top of stair landings, stair treads, doorways, narrow walk-through areas, etc.
- Other Decks: Inspect entire surface for high wear areas.
- Cleaning
- The use and location of the deck will cause the cleaning frequency to vary. Our recommendation for cleaning under average use conditions is as follows:
- Weekly – Sweep or vacuum deck to remove loose debris and dirt.
- Monthly – thoroughly clean the deck to remove dirt, debris, oil or grease dripping, black tire marks, etc. Cleaning may be by:
- Power scrubbing with low suds, biodegradable detergent. This requires thorough rinsing to avoid detergent residues which may cause the deck to be slippery when wet and may cause stains.
- High pressure water blast. Water pressure should not be greater than 1,000 psi at nozzle.
- Avoid the use of strong solvents, especially hydrocarbon type solvents.
- The use and location of the deck will cause the cleaning frequency to vary. Our recommendation for cleaning under average use conditions is as follows:
- Snow Removal and Ice Control
- It should be recognized that piled snow can significantly load the deck surface beyond its design load capacity resulting in significant structural cracks and/or more serious structural damage. Therefore, immediate removal of piled snow is recommended.
- The use of metal blades should be avoided at all times to prevent physical damage to the coating system.
- Snow Blowers with rubber blades and Snow Brooms are recommended, as opposed to heavy snow removal equipment.
- Repair to Structure
- All structural repairs should be at the direction of a Structural Engineer.
- Repair to Deck Coating Materials
- Minor repairs may be made by owner’s maintenance people; however, it is suggested that to protect the manufacturer’s warranty, major repairs should be accomplished by the original approved applicator.
- Physical damage to the coating system (cuts, tears, burns, etc.):
- Remove damage coating materials back to well adhered material.
- Thoroughly clean the exposed substrate and existing coating surrounding the area with
- clean cloth that has been wet with xylene solvent.
- Allow solvent to evaporate (1 hour at 75°F, 50% R. H.).
- Install the coating system to the original film thickness, extending each coat onto the existing coating, featheredging the terminating edge of the coating. If multiple coats are required (ie: coating removed to the original substrate), allow proper cure time between coats.
- Allow the repaired area to cure for 24 hours (minimum) for pedestrian decks, 48 hours (minimum) for vehicular decks before allowing traffic on the repaired area.
- Excessive Wear Areas and Traffic Replacement
- Thoroughly clean area with steam cleaner, power scrubber or high pressure water blast.
- Allow area to become completely dry.
- Scrub area with xylene solvent.
- Allow solvent to evaporate (1 hour at 75°F, 50% R.H.).
- Apply P-801-VOC Primer at a rate 300-400 square feet per gallon in a thin, even film. Avoid puddles or ponding.
- Allow P-801-VOC primer to cure for 1 hour minimum, 8 hours maximum.
- Apply continuous membrane coat:
- For applications requiring a Base Coat: Apply Pecora 802 or 802 FC Base Coat to the cleaned area at appropriate coverage rate. Featheredge terminating edges. Allow to cure 4 – 5 hours at a temperature above 70°
- For applications not requiring a Base Coat: Apply a coat of Pecora HB1000 Industrial Coating to the cleaned area at a rate of 32 square feet per gallon. Featheredge terminating edges. Allow to cure 2 – 4 hours at a temperature above 70°
- Suggested schedule for aggregate. Amounts may require adjustment to match existing coating texture.
- Allow Pecora HB1000 Industrial Coating to cure for 24 – 48 hours before opening to traffic.
For more information about our Pecora-Deck HB1000 or other traffic coating systems, please visit our website at https://www.pecora.com/products/traffic-coatings-sealants/traffic-coatings/.
